Telstra Dome Surface (for AFL, NRL & Round ball code)

[ryan2000]

Watching the State of Origin at the moment and it's great to see such a brilliant crowd of 53,000 showing off once again that Melbourne is indeed the sporting capital of Australia.
The atmosphere created at Telstra Dome is amazing!!!!!!

Telstra Dome really is one of the best Stadiums in Australia.

But...........................................................................

It has BY FAR AND AWAY the worst ****ing surface of any stadium in the world.

What an absolute embarresment.

This has gone on far to long and i'm confident that it is to blame for the ever increasing injury list of the AFL.

In a few months time, The Melbourne Victory will play host to Sydney which is being played at Telstra Dome. With the ground in it's current state, i'm not sure i'll be able to watch it. The shame will be too much.

To think that it'll play a key I shudder to think!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's gone on too long. FIX IT!!!!!!!!!!!! FOR **** SAKE!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ricardo]

I agree, i am watching the SOO atm and am embarrassed for the TD crew who produce that surface, although with the restricted light they haven't much to work with (?).

I must say Telstra Stadiums surface looked near-on as bad as this one is, and they don't have a roof to contend with.

That brings up the point about the roof, WHY didn't the TD builders put in the same type of roof as (i think it is) the Auf Shalke Arena in Gelsenkirchen....it has a roof and in the World Cup previews it said it had special covering to allow natural sunlight to enter the stadium when the roof is shut, is it too expensive to do this now?

If it works for this stadium they should seriously consider changing the roof over, sure it will cost a lot, but look to the future, unless they are looking at artificial turf (problem solved).

 

[ryan2000]

IThat brings up the point about the roof, WHY didn't the TD builders put in the same type of roof as (i think it is) the Auf Shalke Arena in Gelsenkirchen....it has a roof and in the World Cup previews it said it had special covering to allow natural sunlight to enter the stadium when the roof is shut, is it too expensive to do this now?

GREAT POINT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a brilliant stadium that is. One of the best in the world. Amazing what you can do when you THINK before you build.

 

[Ricardo]

GREAT POINT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a brilliant stadium that is. One of the best in the world. Amazing what you can do when you THINK before you build.

http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/d/s/gelsenkirchen.html

I am not sure how affective it is, but anything would be better then what they have now, + the fact it would allow more natural light into the stadium and could possibly result in less lights having to be used.

 

[Mentallo]

AFL will never admit there is a problem.
Ground should be bulldozed and built properly. This will never happen though and we will still be discussing this problem with the Telstra "Rink" in 20 years time.

 

[Mero]

GREAT POINT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What a brilliant stadium that is. One of the best in the world. Amazing what you can do when you THINK before you build.

That stadium is probably not built on a concrete car park.
That's what kills the grass, and that's also makes the surface so hard and slippery.

There is nothing they can ever do to fix the problem
They might put band aids over it 3-4 times a year, but they will never ever fix it.

PS StKilda, Footscray and Essendon. Do they have the 3 biggest injury lists in the AFL? Anything else they have in common?

 

[Ricardo]

That stadium is probably not built on a concrete car park.
That's what kills the grass, and that's also makes the surface so hard and slippery.

There is nothing they can ever do to fix the problem
They might put band aids over it 3-4 times a year, but they will never ever fix it.

PS StKilda, Footscray and Essendon. Do they have the 3 biggest injury lists in the AFL? Anything else they have in common?

Built on a concrete carpark?

How much soil does the grass need? Why can't they add another few inches to the playing surface, add more soil, or is it a drainage thing, i don't get it how these sorts of things could have been overlooked.

Anyway, there is always the option of artificial turf.

Just did a little research....

The stadium, which opened in 1996, is one of the first in the world to combine a retractable roof and a grass surface. This caused some problems in the beginning, because the grass rolls wouldn't grow and had to be replaced monthly

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amsterdam_ArenA

If you look at the roof it has that 'see through' type covering, this could mean it isn't as effective as i first thought......but it does let in sunlight..


Americans may have got it right

The facility will feature a retractable roof as well as the first fully retractable natural grass playing surface built in the United States. An opening on one side of the stadium will allow the playing field to move to the exterior of the building so the entire natural turf playing surface can be exposed to daylight when it is not in use.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinals_Stadium

Opens 12th August this year, contruction cost was $355 mil........if this works then the designers of the TD should be ashamed of themselves.

 

[Mero]

Built on a concrete carpark?

How much soil does the grass need? Why can't they add another few inches to the playing surface, add more soil, or is it a drainage thing, i don't get it how these sorts of things could have been overlooked.

Anyway, there is always the option of artificial turf.

Concrete never warms up.
Grass doesn't grow in the cold.
If you've ever been in the Telstra Dome car park in summer you'd know what I mean. It's 12 degrees in there, even when it's 35 outside.

Then there's the wind thing. For roots to grow, amongst other things (sun and water) they need to fight the elements. When there is no wind, the roots don't grow either.

Artificial turf is about the only option left to them.
And you'd hope the AFLPA would never allow games to be played on it.
NFL teams are moving away from artificial turf because of the injuries associated with it.

 

[mad demon fan]

Its bloody shocking




GO QUEENSLANDER YOU BEAUTY

 

[spell_check]

54,833 - that would be a record for the Telstra Dome.


And this is my 2000th post!

 

[Ronin]

I agree, i am watching the SOO atm and am embarrassed for the TD crew who produce that surface, although with the restricted light they haven't much to work with (?).

I must say Telstra Stadiums surface looked near-on as bad as this one is, and they don't have a roof to contend with.

That brings up the point about the roof, WHY didn't the TD builders put in the same type of roof as (i think it is) the Auf Shalke Arena in Gelsenkirchen....it has a roof and in the World Cup previews it said it had special covering to allow natural sunlight to enter the stadium when the roof is shut, is it too expensive to do this now?

If it works for this stadium they should seriously consider changing the roof over, sure it will cost a lot, but look to the future, unless they are looking at artificial turf (problem solved).

Telstra Dome and Telstra Stadium both have crap playing surfaces. At least at the Dome there is an excuse because of the roof, but it seems that every other year, TS turns to a sandbowl.

Someone tell the curator to phark off the kyuku or whatever toff grass they are using, and go for the good old buffalo grass. Yes, sometimes you will see a player trip over with no one near them, but you won't even need to water the place for at least 3 years. Problem solved.

 

[DonsRule]

Concrete never warms up.
Grass doesn't grow in the cold.
If you've ever been in the Telstra Dome car park in summer you'd know what I mean. It's 12 degrees in there, even when it's 35 outside.

Then there's the wind thing. For roots to grow, amongst other things (sun and water) they need to fight the elements. When there is no wind, the roots don't grow either.

Artificial turf is about the only option left to them.
And you'd hope the AFLPA would never allow games to be played on it.
NFL teams are moving away from artificial turf because of the injuries associated with it.

Thats about sums is up.

Not sure how well this would or wouldn't work, but an idea I'd heard is why don't they set the stadium up with The lamps things, what ever they're called, that are used to grow drugs indoors, and without people noticesing it
. And, they could always have tried and got them cheap from when the poilice shut down one/some of these ventures.

 

[Black Panther]

54,833 - that would be a record for the Telstra Dome.

No it wouldn't

56,605 - Rugby Union - Australia v British and Irish Lions 7th August 2001

 

[Ronin]

No it wouldn't

56,605 - Rugby Union - Australia v British and Irish Lions 7th August 2001

You have to deduct the Welsh fans.

 

[Philhawk]

Great game! Go Queensland! **** Surface!

 

[mad demon fan]

Great game! Go Queensland! **** Surface!

YOU LITTLE RIPPER

 

[scotty13]

GO QUEENSLAND!!!!!!!!

On the surface, i rekon they should put the staduim on wheels so when it aint being used they role it to the side the the grass can grow! Hopefully soon teh AFLPA will tell the AFL enough is enough and the players are not playing on that ground until it is fixed. That will make em do something!!!!

 

[Gainzo]

Built on a concrete carpark?

How much soil does the grass need? Why can't they add another few inches to the playing surface, add more soil, or is it a drainage thing, i don't get it how these sorts of things could have been overlooked.

Anyway, there is always the option of artificial turf.

Just did a little research....



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amsterdam_ArenA

If you look at the roof it has that 'see through' type covering, this could mean it isn't as effective as i first thought......but it does let in sunlight..


Americans may have got it right



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinals_Stadium

Opens 12th August this year, contruction cost was $355 mil........if this works then the designers of the TD should be ashamed of themselves.

Then again you must take into account the fact that:

1). The Arizona Stadium is in the middle of nowhere.
2). It is much easier to remove a rectangular field into the sun than an oval.
3). The Arizona field will only be used for 10 games per year for NFL.

I thought the Docklands was a great idea. Plenty of growing pains, but I think the surface is getting better.

Watching the Saints/Blues game last month at the G, blokes were slipping all over the place inside 50 at the City end. Rest of the field was fine. How do you explain that?

 

[neddy36]

Artificial turf is about the only option left to them.
And you'd hope the AFLPA would never allow games to be played on it.
NFL teams are moving away from artificial turf because of the injuries associated with it.

True. The NFL are moving away from the old artificial turf (Astroturf).

Most stadiums in the US are using Field Turf:

http://www.fieldturf.com/product/overview.cfm

Looks, feels and plays like real grass but is synthetic.

This surface would solve all the problems associated with the Telstra Dome. I am sure the AFLPA would have no issues playing on this surface as it doesn't burn like Astroturf.

 

[grayham]

The only successful way indoor stadiums are able to grow grass is where the whole pitch is "wheeled" out into the sun between games.

This aint going to happen until the dome is old enough that people start talking about "upgrades" to stands. I think we are stuck with it for another 20 years.

 

[SydneyBomber]

disgraceful surface (but we all knew that).

leading into the game I was sure someone like gasnier who uses their step a lot (although not last night lol ) would end up doing a knee there.

players were falling over left right and centre.

a blight on the game, and I'm pssed off that essendon has such a long contract there.

 

[spell_check]

No it wouldn't

56,605 - Rugby Union - Australia v British and Irish Lions 7th August 2001

How do they get that many in? I thought that the capacity was said to be 53,000?

 

[Sir_Adrian84]

I think that the crowd was about the 5th largest. A concert, wrestling, and the lions union match beat it.

The record is around 70,000 at a schools mass for the 2000th anniversery of the catholic church in 2000, but that had people on the field, so maybe that wouldn't count as much.

 

[Sir_Adrian84]

How do they get that many in? I thought that the capacity was said to be 53,000?

probably standing room

the AFL record is around 53,500

 

[Boyler_Room]

A large reflective surface to shine some of the sun down onto the turf would work just as well. It might not cost as much as some other options but that fieldturf looks pretty good, then again that is their own website. I'd like to see what un-biased players think of the stuff.